Embrace the cold: Winter makes Michigan a 'cool' place to live

Rex Larsen | The Grand Rapids PressTammie McBain, left, and Kim Jones, both of Rockford, head to the lifts Wednesday afternoon for downhill skiing at Cannonsburg Ski Lodge. View photo galleryPunxsutawney Phil, Howell's Woody the Woodchuck and the calendar (duh!) all say there will be six more weeks of winter.

Let's party!

I know that most of us are hibernating, looking longingly at seed catalogs, planning trips to Florida -- anything to keep our minds off the cold and snow.

Embracing it could boost our economy and give Michigan a reputation as a "cool" place to live. And I'm not talking about the temperature.

"One of the knocks you hear about Michigan is that we can't compete with southern states because we're cold," said Dan Gilmartin, chief executive officer of the Michigan Municipal League.

"It doesn't fly," he told me. "Minneapolis, Madison (Wis.) and Chicago are all cold-weather cities that are doing quite well."

Those communities are what Gilmartin calls Winter Cities, places that plan transportation systems, buildings and recreation projects around four-season use.

Gil MartinCommunities that merely tolerate winter are Frozen Cities, according to the Winter Cities Institute in Anchorage, Ala.

"The goal is to create livability, reduce human discomfort, and promote energy efficiency and the economic sustainability of northern places," Gilmartin said.

Winter Cities embrace fun regardless of the climate. We do a pretty good job of that in Michigan.

There are probably hundreds of winter festivals in the state featuring ice carving, polar-bear swims, beverage tents and even a wife-carrying contest at the annual Finnish festival in Hancock.

Michigan communities also have winter activities galore, including skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing.

But Winter Cities also take steps to remain vibrant and walkable in difficult-to-navigate conditions.

Holland, for instance, gets about 75 inches of snowfall annually thanks its proximity to Lake Michigan. But the West Michigan community's heated downtown sidewalks help restaurants and retail stores stay busy with foot traffic in the winter months.